The Themes for Each Month of the 2016 Year of Creative Discovery

Each month in the 2016 Year of Creative Discovery there will be a theme with prompts & projects for that theme. I thought I’d give you the low down on the year so you know what’s coming up. The list is incomplete for right now – I haven’t got concrete ideas for Oct – Dec yet.

Being creative is actually just being able to problem solve in ways that work for you. With art there is the problem of a blank page and how do I make something that I like. Self awareness comes as we ask ourselves what we really want out of life. For me, my creativity flows so much better now that I am getting clearer on my personal truth. That’s why I’m joining the two together – because it works better together. That is the essence of using art as a therapeutic tool. Art as a tool in your life.

We will be more successful in all our endeavors if we can let go of the habit of running all the time, and take little pauses to relax and re-center ourselves. And we’ll also have a lot more joy in living.

“Our bodies have five senses: touch, smell, taste, sight, hearing. But not to be overlooked are the senses of our souls: intuition, peace, foresight, trust, empathy. The differences between people lie in their use of these senses; most people don’t know anything about the inner senses while a few people rely on them just as they rely on their physical senses, and in fact probably even more.”
― C. JoyBell C.

Projects: Look & feel inside/meditation, body scan

Creative focus: What’s my style

Explore: What bring me energy, your internal compass & intuition

April – The Rules I’ve Lived by – Until now

“You’ll learn, as you get older, that rules are made to be broken. Be bold enough to live life on your terms, and never, ever apologize for it. Go against the grain, refuse to conform, take the road less traveled instead of the well-beaten path. Laugh in the face of adversity, and leap before you look. Dance as though EVERYBODY is watching. March to the beat of your own drummer. And stubbornly refuse to fit in.”
― Mandy Hale, The Single Woman: Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass

“The greatest crimes in the world are not committed by people breaking the rules but by people following the rules. It’s people who follow orders that drop bombs and massacre villages.”
― Banksy, Wall and Piece

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
― Pablo Picasso

Projects: Mask, Stop Doing List, Journaling Purge

Creative focus: writing

Explore: Negative self talk, people pleasing, my story – the past

May – My Journey

We have stories to tell, stories that provide wisdom about the journey of life. What more have we to give one another than our ‘truth’ about our human adventure as honestly and as openly as we know how? – Rabbi Saul Rubin

“You take people, you put them on a journey, you give them peril, you find out who they really are.”
― Joss Whedon

“All I wanted was to live a life where I could be me, and be okay with that. I had no need for material possessions, money or even close friends with me on my journey. I never understood people very well anyway, and they never seemed to understand me very well either. All I wanted was my art and the chance to be the creator of my own world, my own reality. I wanted the open road and new beginnings every day.”
― Charlotte Eriksson, Empty Roads & Broken Bottles; in search for The Great Perhaps

Projects: Maps

Creative Focus: Making Maps

Explore: How your present emotional triggers relate to the past. Be in the present moment but understand where you’ve been.

June – My Passion is: My Purpose is:

“In the beginning, God created the earth, and he looked upon it in His cosmic loneliness.

And God said, “Let Us make living creatures out of mud, so the mud can see what We have done.” And God created every living creature that now moveth, and one was man. Mud as man alone could speak. God leaned close to mud as man sat up, looked around, and spoke. Man blinked. “What is the purpose of all this?” he asked politely.

“Every pain, addiction, anguish, longing, depression, anger or fear is an orphaned part of us seeking joy,
some disowned shadow wanting to return to the light and home of ourselves.” ― Jacob Nordby

“Your life will be transformed when you make peace with your shadow. The caterpillar will become a breathtakingly beautiful butterfly. You will no longer have to pretend to be someone you’re not. You will no longer have to prove you’re good enough. When you embrace your shadow you will no longer have to life in fear. Find the gifts of your shadow and you will finally revel in all the glory of your true self. Then you will have the freedom to create the life you have always desired.” ― Debbie Ford

Projects: TBA

Creative Focus: TBA

Explore: How fear & doubt manifest and not being afraid of your shadow

August – What do I Want to Learn

Get over the idea that only children should spend their time in study. Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life. ~Henry L. Doherty

Give me a fruitful error any time, full of seeds, bursting with its own corrections. You can keep your sterile truth for yourself. ~Vilfredo Pareto

The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as we continue to live. ~Mortimer Adler

Projects: Ted Talks and Podcasts

Creative Focus: Stencils

Explore: Lists and goals

September – When Life Throws Us a Curve Ball

There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm. ~Willa Cather

“We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.” – Kenji Miyazawa

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” – Michael Jordan

Projects: TBA

Creative Focus: TBA

Explore: TBA

October – Keep Calm

November – Being thankful for who I am

December – Reflection

I will update the themes when I do a little more research or find that there is something our group wants to do.

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Published by Your Inner Art

I grew up around art and my creative spirit has been nurtured throughout my life. I have always found arts & crafts to be fun, relaxing, and fulfilling.
I stumbled into making beaded jewelry in my 20's and I still love playing with beads. I’ve worked in two bead stores, taught jewelry classes for 8 years, and my jewelry has been in many galleries. I am a guest artist at the Fall Art Tour in Sauk County.
I used an altered book to rediscover who I am and the path I wanted to take when I though all was lost. I found that in fact, all was found and I returned to college to pursue the dream that was inside me—just waiting to be realized.
I am a graduate of Edgewood College with a BS in Art Therapy and minors in Art & Psychology. While in school I continued to work with people from all walks of life and abilities. I have such a great time working with people who are finding that they do beautiful work.
This lead me to continue my passion of sharing the fun, joy, and self discovery that art brings. I have drawn from my life experiences to create classes that are designed to focus on the fun that art brings.
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